


Where You Lead (I Will Follow)

by Chelsea Frew (chelseafrew)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Cancer, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Illness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-15
Updated: 2014-04-15
Packaged: 2018-01-19 10:52:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1466776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chelseafrew/pseuds/Chelsea%20Frew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a tough day in the middle of a lot of tough days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where You Lead (I Will Follow)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cori Lannam (corilannam)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/corilannam/gifts).



> This story was borne from a prompt given to me by my BFF, Cori, to whom it's dedicated. She wanted to see this scene, and once the idea entered my consciousness, it kind of bloomed fully formed pretty quickly.
> 
> It's entirely possible this will later be a scene in a much longer work, but I have several other ideas which take precedence and which will all take some time. But it's certainly on my Writing To Do List.
> 
> Cori didn't just inspire this fic, she beta'd it, too. Any mistakes left are all mine. Title from the song of the same name by Carole King. I hope you enjoy the story!

They were cocooned together on the couch when the doorbell rang, nestled inside two blankets and a duvet. Harry whined when Louis went to move out from under him.

Louis pressed a kiss to Harry's temple. "I'm guessing it's Lou, love, just like you asked for. She doesn't have a key."

Harry nodded his understanding and scooched forward to allow Louis to slip out from under all the covers. When Louis had extricated himself, he leaned down to kiss Harry once again--this time sweetly on the mouth--before heading for the door to let Lou in.

She smiled as he opened the door, and they greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks for coming," Louis told her.

"Anything for you boys. You know that," she assured him. Then she whispered, "How is he?"

Louis shrugged. He kept his voice low to reply, "He's hanging in there. It's hard, but…."

Lou put out a hand and laid it on his forearm. "I know."

"Come on in."

Lou secured the strap of the large bag she carried over her shoulder and followed Louis into the house and into the large living area where Harry still lay bundled up on the couch.

"Baby, Lou's here," Louis announced.

Harry lifted his head up to gaze over to where their visitor stood, and he offered a small smile. "Hi, Lou."

"Hi, Harry. How are you, sweetheart?"

"Been better, been worse," he answered. "Thanks for coming."

"I'm happy to help," she said. "Thank you for trusting me."

"Where should we do this?" Louis asked.

"Kitchen?" Lou suggested. "That seems like it would be easiest to clean up."

Louis nodded. "What do you think, Haz?"

"Kitchen's fine." He began the process of climbing out from the comfort of the nest they'd created, and Louis moved quickly to help him, supporting him as he carefully rose to a standing position. As always, he winced at Harry's slight frame. His t-shirt and sweatpants hung off him as if they were two sizes too big.

Harry slung an arm over Louis' shoulder, and together they walked into the kitchen, where Lou was pulling out newspaper from her bag and spreading it out on the floor. When she was done with that, she grabbed a chair from the dining room table.

Harry made to go sit in the chair, but Louis placed his hand flat on Harry's chest stopping him. "No. Me first."

Harry's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "What?"

"Sit here," Louis urged, guiding Harry onto one of the stools surrounding the kitchen island, knowing Harry didn't really have the energy to argue.

Lou also looked confused when Louis turned to face her. "Louis?" she questioned, clearly interested in figuring out what was going on.

"I want you to shave mine, too," Louis explained simply.

Harry immediately reached a hand out to grab Louis' bicep. "No," he croaked. Clearing his throat, he repeated it even more firmly. "No. Louis, you can't."

Louis turned back around to look Harry straight in the eye. "I can, and I'm going to. If it's good enough for you, it's good enough for me."

"But I have to," Harry argued passionately. "You don't."

Louis moved in a little closer to Harry to whisper, "I love you." He kissed Harry's temple once more, then walked over to sit in the chair Lou had carried placed in the centre of the newspaper. "Whenever you're ready, Lou," he directed.

"How much do you want me to take off?" Lou questioned him.

"All of it. Just like you will Harry's," Louis stated.

"You're sure?" she checked.

Louis nodded. He locked gazes with Harry as Lou pulled the razor out of her bag and switched it on. He didn't look away once from Harry's beautiful green eyes as she ran the razor over his head, brown hair falling all around him, littering the newspaper underneath his chair.

When Lou declared she was done, Louis stood to walk over to Harry, laying one hand on each of Harry's cheeks and pulling him in for a kiss. When they parted for breath, Harry moved his hands up to run them gently, slowly over Louis' smooth, bare skull. "You didn't have to do this," he said softly.

Louis reached out to pull on one of Harry's remaining curls. "I wanted to."

Harry swallowed as tears pooled in the corners of his eyes. "I don't want to."

"Baby, if you aren't ready…." Louis began, stopping when Harry shook his head.

"No, it's time," Harry countered.

Louis ran his hands gently through the thinned-out curls the poison coursing through his lover's body hadn't yet taken. "They'll grow back." It was a vow he made to himself as much as to Harry.

Harry nodded, and when he did so, a curl came away in Louis' hand. Louis had to fight back the tears at the sight.

"Take your time, Harry," Louis said, his throat tight as he struggled for control. "There's no clock on this, is there, Lou?"

"Absolutely not," Lou confirmed. "I can stay as long as you need me to."

Harry squared his shoulders, though, and got up from the stool. Louis helped him over to the chair. He then squatted at Harry's knees, holding his hands in silent support.

Harry hauled in first one deep breath, then another. Finally, he said confidently, "I'm ready, Lou."

"You sure?" Lou checked with him just as she'd done Louis.

Harry nodded. "Do it."

"Wait!" Louis cried. He stood to run his hand one more time through Harry's chocolate brown hair. "I love you so much," he whispered, kissing Harry's pale forehead before squatting back down and reclaiming Harry's hands.

"I love you, too," Harry whispered back. "Do it," he repeated his order to Lou.

It wasn't long before Harry's curls lay among Louis' straighter hair on the floor, though Louis steadfastly kept his gaze locked on Harry's face, not on the hair falling down around them.

Tears ran down Harry's face as Lou choked out, "All done."

Louis rose to sit gingerly in Harry's lap, running his hands tenderly over Harry's freshly shaved head. "You are still the most gorgeous person I know," Louis told him. "This is the worst it's going to get, Haz. All better from here on out."

"Do you promise?" Harry asked, gazing into Louis' face hopefully.

Louis nodded definitively. Feather-light, he kissed Harry's lips. And even though it might end up being a lie, he gave the answer he knew Harry needed. "I promise."

End (13 April 2014)


End file.
